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Again and again “I am i’s” bounce off the needle

(Bild: Charlotte Titz)

(Bild: Claudia Maryschka)

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Maryschka is a trained nursery school teacher and has always loved crafting, knitting and crocheting.

"I used to crochet tons of sweaters with every pattern imaginable," she smiles. Then came a difficult time and she was looking for something different, something special.

"By chance, I came across a book with crochet animals, so I started hoarding wool. At some point, the first little animal was born, following the instructions exactly."

However, this animal - as cute as it was - didn't really convince her.

"Just one color, everything as it should be, that was somehow too boring for me," reveals the life coach.

Everyone can see something different in the animals
So she started trying things out herself. Claudia Maryschka has now got the hang of it.

First she goes to her wool store and sees which wool appeals to her. "Then I start with a belly according to the instructions," she explains. Even with the little legs, the crochet develops a life of its own. It's as if the piece itself decides what it wants to become. Will it be a rabbit, a bear, a giraffe or even a fantasy animal? "If you don't know what it should be, these are my 'I am I's'," reveals the enthusiastic crocheter. Each animal is then given a name and the back of the little heart reads: Please love me!

The life coach works a lot with children. The little animals are often icebreakers. You can talk through them, the child can whisper something in their ear. "The animals take away the shyness and the little ones gain confidence more quickly," says Maryschka.